weekend event planner

Here are the top 8 things to do in Houston this weekend

Your Sunday Funday will be especially spirited.

Photo courtesy of Bullock Texas State History Museum

Judging by the next four days, Houston continues to be the most unpredictable spot in the entire friggin' country when it comes to weather. On Thursday, it'll be rainy but warm while, on Friday and Saturday, the coldness with get all up in your bones. Finally, on Sunday, it'll just be a cloudy but still tolerable day.

For those who opt to venture outside to see what fun stuff is happening, here's our weekly rundown:

Thursday, February 7

Collect It for the Culture II at Winston Contemporary Art
Black Buddha Creative Agency's Collect It for the Culture is back again to show off fine work from Texas-based artists. This biannual collaborative series continues to present a dynamic curation of works that give collectors opportunities to acquire beautiful, engaging art that will withstand the test of time. As for the artists who will be showcased, they are Tyler Deauvea, Jesse Lott, Mark Flood, Floyd Newsum, Kaneem Smith, Dana Frankfort, Rajab Ali Sayed, and Patrick Renner. 7-9 pm.

Friday, February 8

Donkeeboy & Friends Art Show at 8th Wonder Brewery
We didn't know 8th Wonder Brewery has a resident artist, but his name is Donkeeboy and he's gonna have an art show at the brewery this weekend. But this artist, who is known as a "remixer of pop culture" whose work "tend to consist of various double entendre and visual puns," will also feature work from his fellow art pals, including Sylvia Roman (Donkeemom), Noke, Icebox, Elizabeth Umanzor, and others. DJ Gonz will provide the music. 6-10 pm.

Lunar New Year at Asia Texas Society Center
Asia Texas Society Center will be spending most of this weekend celebrating the Lunar New Year (aka the Year of the Pig) and inviting everybody to join along with them. Saturday will be Family Day — its marquee, Lunar New Year event — with free arts and crafts activities, lion dancing, food, and more. The party will move over to the Galleria on Sunday, with more fun activities (which will continue into next weekend). It all starts this evening with an Enchanting Puppetry Traditions of Henan performance. 7 pm.

Purple Rain at Landmark River Oaks
It was 35 years ago this year that Prince Rogers Nelson decided to take his electrifying music and stage performances to the big screen and star in Purple Rain, a semi-autographical, pop/rock/soul musical that, in turn, made him an even bigger star than he was before he got ready for his close-up. And even though the Purple One is no longer with us, he gave us a movie full of classic music that still gives us goosebumps every time we hear it. 11:59 pm.

Saturday, February 9

Lisa Vanderpump Wine Bottle Signing at H-E-B plus!
We're not big reality-show people over here, but we do know that veteran Real Housewife Lisa Vanderpump is a very popular figure in the TV genre. She's so popular, ol' girl even has her own brand of wine, known as Vanderpump Rose, produced in the Côtes de Provence region of France. Vanderpump will be at the H-E-B on the Grand Parkway (6711 S. Fry Road in Katy) this weekend, greeting fans and signing up to two bottles of her creation. The first 300 attendees are guaranteed to have their bottles signed. Noon-2 pm.

Fred Faour: Jesus Just Left Chicago Release Party at Around the Corner
If you haven't heard already, Fred Faour, SportsMap editor and host of ESPN 97.5 FM's "The Blitz," has a new book out called Jesus Just Left Chicago: A Dark Tale of Religion, Poker, Horse Racing, The Mafia and Betrayal. And Gow Media (which also owns CultureMap) will be throwing a book-release party. The event will feature a DJ, beer specials from Karbach, and books for sale. Faour will conduct a Q&A session and give a sneak peek at the sequel. 3 pm.

The Whimsy World at District Art Gallery
From the sounds of it, The Whimsy World seems like an enjoyably freaky experience. The second solo show from Houston artist Shelbi Nicole, this traveling, interactive art experience aims to ignite visitor's imaginations in a truly unique way. It's also filled with vibrant installations, frenzied pattern walls and collectible limited edition artworks, and guests are encouraged to wear whimsical attire, mingle, sip bubbles, and take as many photographs as possible. It will run through February 28. 6 pm.

Sunday, February 10

Glenmorangie Whiskey Tasting at Bosscat
There's nothing like going to a whiskey tasting and pretending to be all classy and sophisticated — when all you're really doing is getting messed up on some top-notch hooch. Dr. Bill Lumsden, master distiller and two-time recipient of the Distiller of the Year honor at the International Spirits Challenge, will host a private tasting of some of Glenmorangie’s rare expressions. Guests will arrive to a glass of champagne or a welcome cocktail featuring Glenmorangie 10-year scotch. 4-6 pm. $30.

event-planner

In the spotlight

Houston reels in new rank among 10 best cities for filmmakers in 2026

Photo by Kyle Loftus on Unsplash

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Houston has just snapped up new recognition as the No. 10 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America, according to MovieMaker Magazine's annual report, "The Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026."

The Bayou City has made improvements after ranking 12th in the magazine's 2025 list.

The annual list ranks the best cities in the U.S. and Canada for individuals to live while working in the film industry, based on production spending, tax incentives, cost of living, the prevalence of "local film scenes," and additional factors. The list is divided into two categories: 25 big cities and 10 smaller cities or towns.

The spotlighted cities are the places where the publication believes filmmakers "have the best chance of both succeeding in the famously difficult entertainment industry, and making [their] own art."

For up-and-coming filmmakers that want to live in Texas, MovieMaker says doing it in Houston is "more sustainable than ever" thanks to incentives like the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program, which increased its production grant rebate from 22.5 percent to up to 31 percent for qualified in-state spending. The report also said Houston has an "arms-wide-open" approach for filmmakers.

"As the biggest city in Texas, and fourth biggest city in America, Houston has nearly every type of location, from cityscapes to piney woods to rolling hills to nearby farmland," the report said. "It’s close to Galveston Island and the Gulf of Mexico, and car commercials love the absence of billboard advertising."

MovieMaker also highlighted Houston's diversity, its low cost of living compared to the national average, and its local festivals like the Houston Cinema Arts Festival and Houston Latino Film Festival.

"The city has enough film crew for two to three sizable features, and recent shoots have included the thrillers Eleven Days, with Taylor Kitsch, and A Love, from director Courtney Glaude, Tyler Perry Studios’ executive creator of Scripted and Unscripted," the report said. "Houston is also notable for a strong contingent of films with budgets under $1 million."

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin ranked as the No. 5 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America. Dallas ranked seventh, while neighboring Fort Worth ranked 12th. San Antonio appeared as No. 14, and El Paso landed 25th on the list.

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